Mapping the future of autonomous driving with OSS
This article was originally published by BizReach on April 24, 2025.
COO Ko Miyoshi, left, and CTO Yoshihito Takashima
TIER IV develops autonomous driving software, services, and vehicles. As part of its vision to make autonomous driving accessible to all, the company is leading the nationwide deployment of vehicles powered by Autoware — the world’s first open-source software (OSS) for autonomous driving.
As TIER IV ramps up recruitment, particularly of software engineers, we spoke with the CTO and COO about the company’s technology, business model, and the kind of people they’re looking to bring on board.
— To start, could you talk a bit about TIER IV’s beginnings and the business areas the company is involved in?
Yoshihito: TIER IV was founded in 2015 by Shinpei Kato, who was then an associate professor at Nagoya University. Shinpei specialized in autonomous driving, AI, processors, and operating systems. He launched TIER IV to build businesses around Autoware, which he developed during his research.
Autoware is open-source autonomous driving software built on Linux and ROS, with all the necessary functions to design autonomous driving systems. To accelerate the adoption and development of autonomous driving technology, we are committed to keeping Autoware open-source, which enables collaboration with a diverse mix of organizations and individuals around the world.
Ko: TIER IV’s business focuses on two main areas. First, we develop vehicles equipped with our autonomous driving platforms and provide them to transportation operators, local governments, and others. Second, we offer our autonomous driving platform under a licensing model to automakers and other companies that want to develop their own systems.
Three key platforms built around Autoware make this possible: Pilot.Auto, an autonomous driving software package; Web.Auto, a cloud-based platform that streamlines the development and operation of autonomous driving systems; and Edge.Auto, the hardware that runs the software in real-world environments.
— Could you briefly explain what Autoware is?
Ko: When a person drives, they use their eyes to check their surroundings, think through situations, and operate the steering wheel, accelerator, and brakes with their hands and feet. In autonomous driving, software takes over these tasks – processing information from sensors, making decisions such as controlling the accelerator and brakes, and determining the route. Autoware is a collection of software that performs these functions.
One of its key strengths is its versatility. While many autonomous driving technologies are designed for particular applications, such as robotaxis, trucks, or construction machinery, Autoware is vehicle- and domain-agnostic. It can be used for any kind of vehicle.
Yoshihito: The advanced technology under the hood is why Autoware can be applied to such a wide range of vehicles, and the progress in its development can largely be attributed to the Autoware Foundation. Founded by TIER IV in 2018, it is the world’s first international industry consortium for open-source autonomous driving software.
This community brings together over 100 organizations, companies, and individuals from around the world, involving researchers from the private sector, universities and research institutes, as well as experts from the tech and autonomous driving sectors, and members of Japan’s leading automotive companies. Because it is open source, Autoware can be developed collaboratively with professionals from across the globe, allowing the software to evolve over time. This collaborative framework is what fuels Autoware’s technological development.
Streamlining the development process
— Could you share some examples of autonomous driving projects TIER IV has worked on?
Ko: Buses equipped with our autonomous driving systems are now operating in various regions across Japan. Among them, Komatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture and Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture are the most advanced.
In Komatsu, TIER IV’s autonomous buses run regularly between Komatsu Airport and Komatsu Station, with a safety driver on board. Meanwhile, in Shiojiri, we’ve received permission to operate at Level 4 – where the vehicle can drive itself under specific conditions – meaning no need for a human driver at the wheel.
In addition to our collaborations with local municipalities, we established a joint venture with Yamaha Motor in 2020 to provide autonomous logistics. Featuring unmanned carts, our eve auto service is being deployed at factories across Japan.
TIER IV currently has around 400 employees, about 70 percent of whom are engineers working on software and hardware. Many are focused on platform development, while others contribute to autonomous driving projects for shuttle buses and factory logistics.
— Describe TIER IV’s development structure.
Ko: Our standard approach to system development is the V-model. Business development teams work with engineers to accurately identify market demands and customer requirements, which are then translated into concrete designs for R&D, engineering and testing.
Yoshihito: To implement autonomous driving in a wider range of areas, our development approach is to first identify the core technologies and functions that are broadly applicable across different industries – the greatest common denominator. Once those are in place, we can focus on additional development tailored to the specific needs of each domain.
If we can establish a common foundation within platforms like Pilot.Auto that represents about 90 percent of the system, supplementary development can be reduced to just 10 percent. Right now, TIER IV is defining and building that common core to streamline development across the board.
Passion to create the next generation of autonomous driving
— What is your business strategy moving forward?
Ko: Deployments of autonomous factory logistics and shuttle buses are already underway. We’re now focused on expanding the scope of the technology even further. Our revenue has been growing significantly year on year. To sustain that momentum, we’re looking to take on new challenges in larger markets, such as taxis, trucks, and private vehicles.
Yoshihito: On the technical side, it's becoming increasingly important to ensure even higher levels of quality and safety. As deployments scale up and the number of autonomous vehicles grows, so too does the likelihood of encountering issues.
With that in mind, we need to conduct testing strategically, and implement the necessary security measures with a clear understanding of the risks. We want to strengthen our development team by bringing in engineers who can handle such challenges, and by providing training and mentoring to support them.
To ensure the continuity of our business, our systems need to operate reliably around the clock, including at weekends. To achieve this, we're looking to expand our backend engineering team and establish an on-call rotation that avoids putting too much strain on any one person.
— What kind of software engineers are you looking for?
Yoshihito: As we expand, we're eager to work with software engineers with comprehensive experience – from designing widely used services to development, testing, and operation. We're also looking for engineers with front-end development experience to help us improve reliability and create user-friendly interfaces.
As we look toward global expansion, a certain level of English proficiency will be important. That said, having basic language skills at the time of joining is more than enough. Some of our team members joined right out of university and picked up English through daily communication with international colleagues. We welcome individuals who are self-driven, have a strong sense of purpose and approach their work with enthusiasm.
Ko: We’re building entirely new businesses that don't yet exist in the world. We’re looking for people with product management skills who can take the lead in launching new ventures and who share our passion for developing autonomous driving systems and services.
Through the eyes of executives with global experience
— What’s the most appealing part about working for TIER IV?
Yoshihito: I spent about 20 years in the US working as a software engineer at Microsoft and Amazon, involved in scaling and streamlining products. While Big Tech offered excellent development environments and working conditions, I moved to TIER IV because I wanted to share the experience and knowledge I’d gained abroad with engineers in Japan.
Few companies have the technical capabilities, financial resources, and infrastructure needed to expand globally the way TIER IV does. In recent years, the number of international engineers has been growing, providing ample opportunities for team members to learn through collaboration and exchange.
Some people may hesitate to pursue a global career because of concerns about visas or language barriers. For those individuals, TIER IV offers an attractive environment where you can start building a global career at a company with a diverse pool of talent. If that sounds appealing, we encourage you to apply.
Ko: I used to work for a major trading company, involved in overseas railway construction projects. My interest in science fiction fueled a desire to work with future technologies. I also wanted to join a Japanese startup aiming for global expansion, which ultimately led me to TIER IV.
While major automakers are also developing autonomous driving systems, it's often just one initiative within a much larger organization. In contrast, TIER IV specializes in autonomous driving. Combined with a startup culture, this allows us to move at a much faster pace in development and business execution. In fact, TIER IV was among the first to conduct autonomous driving tests on public roads [in Japan]. Here, you have the exciting opportunity of delivering new products to the world with real momentum.
With Japan facing issues like driver shortages and transportation gaps amid a declining population, the need for autonomous driving technology is growing rapidly. You can find great fulfillment in contributing to solutions addressing these challenges. We’re eager to hear from people who want to share innovative technology from Japan with the world.
出典：ビズリーチ掲載記事（2025年4月24日公開）より転載
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TIER IV is always on the lookout for passionate individuals to join our journey. If you share our vision of making autonomous driving accessible to all, get in touch.
Visit our careers page to view all job openings.
If you’re uncertain about which roles align best with your experience, or if the current job openings don’t quite match your preferences, register your interest here. We’ll get in touch if a role that matches your experience becomes available, and schedule an informal interview.
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